Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting

Index

A guide to the contents of a knowledge record. It is a systematic analysis of such records, arranged in an organized way. It is also described as a list of bibliographic information arranged in order according to some specified datum, such as author, subject, or topic keyword.

Abstract

A condensed, representative surrogate of a knowledge record. It is a document's narrative description that may include pertinent data and occasionally critical comments. It is also defined as a brief and objective representation of a document or an oral presentation.

Information

Facts, told, read, or otherwise communicated, usually previously unknown to the recipient. It is a natural phenomenon at the heart of communication, information science, and librarianship. ____ processing is an integral part of every human activity. Strictly speaking, ____ cannot be described, explained, or understood like gravity or electricity, but its properties and effects can be observed to improve communication systems. ____ builds on previous information. It is viewed as a new, basic resource and is considered the strategic resource for an information society.

Document surrogates

Shortened or simplified representations of original documents. They are created to make information easier to access, manage, or search. These surrogates can take various forms, such as abstracts, summaries, or even digital copies of the original.

Abridgement

A shortened version or edition of a written work that preserves the overall meaning and manner of presentation of the original but omits less important passages of text and usually any illustrations, notes, and appendices.

Annotations

Brief notes are added to a document to clarify or explain its content. They are also described as a brief explanation of a document or its contents, usually added as a note to clarify a title. It is a brief note, usually no longer than two or three sentences, added after a citation in a bibliography to describe or explain the content or message of the work cited or to comment on it.

Digital Copies

Scanned or digitized versions of original documents that improve accessibility and preservation.

Extract

One or more lengthy quotations from a book or other works set within the main text of another work, usually indented and sometimes printed in distinguishing type. It can also mean one or more significant portions selected from a document's text to represent the whole. In a more general sense, it is any piece taken from one work and used in another, sometimes to represent the whole, such as a scene from a motion picture used in a trailer.

Image/Text Combinations

Enhanced surrogates that combine visual and textual elements to provide a more comprehensive representation of the document's content and context.

Summaries

Shorter versions of the document, highlighting key points. They are a brief statement expressing a work’s general substance or overall idea (or portion of it), recapitulating its main points, findings, and conclusions, usually given at the end. It may be more extensive than an abstract, but its wording should not be repeated.

Synopsis

A concise written description of the plot of a long narrative work (novel, play, opera, epic poem, etc.), usually prepared by a person other than the author, that gives a quick, orderly overview of the whole.

Terse literature

A condensation of the original. This is done by using highly abbreviated statements to encapsulate the significant points.